Cheltenham tip may close for good in January as Swindon Road depot needs £1m revamp

The Swindon Road tip may be closing for good in January as Cheltenham Borough Council needs £1m to bring their rubbish and recycling services up to scratch. The shock proposals have come to light as council leaders will discuss the future of the household recycling centre at the cabinet meeting on November 26.

Changing legislation and enhanced kerbside collection services have prompted a review of Cheltenham’s waste and recycling services. And a prolonged closure of the site while a full review of options takes place is being considered.

The works needed at the site are estimated to cost £1million to meet regulations. If the prolonged closure is agreed, the last day that the site is open to the public will be January 10, 2025.

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The regulatory changes required at the site, include significant groundworks and the introduction of a new concrete pad, the council says. Works to bring the site up to standard are set to cost £1million and without a new permit, the Environment Agency will not allow the site to continue to operate.

Borough leaders say the prolonged closure would allow time for a thorough and considered review about the future of the site in line with new regulations, best value for the tax payer, changing needs of residents and improvements to kerbside recycling.

They say they will speak with Gloucestershire County Council about the possibility of them taking over work at the site.

Waste and recycling cabinet member Izaac Tailford (LD, All Saints) said: ‘’We understand that the household recycling centre has been much loved by residents in the past and we know that locally, people want to recycle even more and are very environmentally aware. There are many options now for easy, convenient recycling.

‘’In recent years, the amount of legislative and regulatory change relating to waste and recycling has been significant. In light of this, we must recognise that the recycling centre needs major modernisation and investment, hence the proposal to close it whilst we take the necessary time to consider options and liaise with partners, including the county council, about options for the site.

“It is estimated that we’d need to fund £1million on significant infrastructure works to upgrade the site to meet the new Environment Agency permitting requirements. The services offered at the household recycling centre are discretionary and it’s only right that we review all that is on offer for residents, taking into consideration our enhanced kerbside services, value for the tax payer and how, during these difficult financial times, we are funding our many other valued, statutory front line services.’’

The council says residents can now recycle a huge variety of materials at the kerbside, such as paper, tin, glass, cardboard, plastics and in more recent years, batteries, small electricals and textiles, with a trial in some areas of soft plastics. ‘Bring bank’ sites at various locations around the borough also provide a good option, especially for those with limited space at home.

Weekly collections of food waste and an opt-in garden waste collection is also done from the convenience of the kerbside and in 2021, Cheltenham was the first authority to sign up to the kerbside coffee pod collection service. Bookable slots at Wingmoor Farm , the county council site, provide an even wider range of options for recycling than ever before.

The budget report and budget consultation –which will go live next month and close in January 2025 - will include the prolonged closure of the HRC. Further public consultation will be included within the planned residents’ survey in 2025. Activity may still take place during the prolonged closure of the site, with operatives working in the area.

The council is encouraging residents to visit their website for a list of frequently asked questions, full details about their collections days, what can be recycled and where.